The "Silk Road Classic" team, consisting of 28 classic vehicles and setting out from Belgium, arrived at Göbeklitepe in a magnificent convoy under the coordination of the Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality. This classic event, held at the oldest temple in history,
The automobile gathering created an unforgettable visual feast for both car enthusiasts and history buffs. Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Kasım Gülpınar accompanied classic vehicle enthusiasts to this special event, supporting the historical and cultural gathering. Mayor Gülpınar emphasized that Silk Road 2025 brings together distinguished classic vehicle owners from around the world and offers a unique promotional opportunity for Urfa, stating that the event will significantly contribute to the city's promotion.
Having completed their challenging and lengthy journey from Azerbaijan, the classic cars were integrated into the historic atmosphere of Göbeklitepe through the Jules Verne Business MICE Travel organization, coordinated by the Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality and in collaboration with the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. The 28 vehicles, steeped in history, were met with great enthusiasm by car enthusiasts and history buffs. The "Silk Road Classic" team aims to strengthen classic car culture and intercultural dialogue with this meaningful journey, which begins in Belgium and extends via Azerbaijan to Türkiye.
The visual feast of classic vehicles at Göbeklitepe was highly acclaimed by visitors. The mystical atmosphere of Göbeklitepe, the world's oldest temple and described as "the ground zero of history," combined with the historical fabric of the vehicles created a meaningful event space. This gathering aims to preserve historical heritage and highlight the importance of cultural events.
Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Kasım Gülpınar met with classic car owners as part of the event. Mayor Gülpınar inspected the vehicles one by one, expressing his passion for them. Şanlıurfa Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Aydın Aslan also attended the event.
MAYOR GÜLPINAR: “SILK ROAD 2025 IS A UNIQUE PROMOTION OPPORTUNITY FOR URFA”
Mayor Gülpınar, speaking to the press, said, "This event is very important for Urfa. It is a great honor for Şanlıurfa to be included in this journey, which will begin in Baku and reach Mersin, where the vehicles will be shipped back to their home countries. Silk Road 2025 brings together a select group of classic vehicle owners from around the world and is a unique promotional opportunity for Urfa."
MAYOR GULPINAR: ŞANLIURFA IS A UNIQUE CITY
Mayor Gülpınar stated that they are making great efforts to better promote Şanlıurfa's historical and cultural riches in the international arena. He said, “First and foremost, Urfa is a great jewel. It's not just a jewel, it's a unique city that embodies many different values. Not taking advantage of these would be a grave mistake. Drawing on our years of experience, we are bringing our international relations and diplomatic efforts to Urfa. Developing tourism is crucial for us because there's a future in tourism, and Urfa has great potential. We possess many qualities unparalleled by any other city in the world. As mayor, we will go everywhere and promote the city, if necessary. We are working tirelessly day and night. One of the most important services I can provide in a short time is to better promote Urfa to the world.”
“THE OLDEST TOOLS AND THE OLDEST HISTORY ARE COMBINED HERE”
Stating that the lack of publicity could be a major shortcoming, President Gülpınar said the following in his statement:
"While they possess only a fraction of our wealth, they are reaping significant benefits elsewhere. We must develop Urfa and create added value." ZamMaking the most of the moment is our most important parameter. We have a local saying: "There's flour, there's sugar, there's everything, it's just a matter of making halva." And we're working on making that halva. We attach great importance to these events, and they will continue to do so. We'll have a new event in Austria at the end of the month. We're also planning a wonderful exhibition opening there. Urfa will be hosting a series of wonderful events. I wish Urfa all the best.
Finally, the vehicles arriving here are the first of their brands, practically brand new. We were brought together with old vehicles at a historic juncture. It was a very meaningful gathering for tourism. As the head of the delegation said, even though they don't have as long a history as ours, there was a beautiful coincidence here. The oldest vehicles and the oldest history came together here. It was a wonderful event.
The car enthusiasts' Göbeklitepe tour ended with a souvenir photo.
